![]() However, the new Man-At-Arms does maintain his role of being a master inventor so a core part of the original character is still there. He couldn’t have someone like Man-At-Arms around to protect him. These changes were made to aid Adam’s larger arc of having to grow into being a hero. In the new series, he and Adam are the same age and there’s no relation to Teela. In the original series he was an older mentor to He-Man and the father of Teela. ![]() One example of this is in the changes to the character of Duncan aka Man-At-Arms. This core ethos for the show meant sweeping changes to the story. It is to show the challenge and journey of becoming a hero.” “Our need for heroes is not for instant perfect heroes. David wanted the new version of He-Man to reflect how the concept of a hero has changed over the years. In the original series He-Man is a larger than life hero who begins the series fully formed and ready to take on evil with very few doubts in his mind. One of the biggest elements of that was changing He-Man a.k.a. The new creative team’s goal however was to take everything that came before, distill it to its core essence, and find a way of reimagining it, “for a kid today who needs it to reflect both that kid’s hopes, dreams, world, and aspirations on their terms.” ![]() Showrunner Rob David makes it clear that they’re standing on the shoulders of the many creative’s who’ve had a hand in the franchise. This doesn’t mean the new series is He-Man in name only. I have kids and if it’s something that has to do with their dad, they’re ‘ah, no, thanks.’ They want something of their own to enjoy.” “We have ours,” Jeff explains, referring to longtime fans of the franchise, “and all the iterations, but it’s nice for kids (because) they want to own something themselves. Jeff Matsuda, co-executive producer of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, knew full well that while it was essential to honor the original series and core aspects of the franchise, the important thing was to create something that the new generation of kids could own for themselves. It boldly reimagines the look of classic characters, still retaining key visual markers, but breathing new and modern design sensibilities in them, much of this aided by the show’s use of CGI instead of traditional animation. Where before only he wielded the power of Grayskull, now a whole team is able to call on its power, turning the show from one with a clear main character to an ensemble piece. The plot isn’t a retread of what came before, in this version Adam doesn’t remember his past and discovers the powers of He-Man in his teens. The new He-Man has its own unique story-telling sense. However this show goes even farther than She-Ra in its straying from the source material. In some ways this is the more prototypical example of a nostalgic reboot, one that takes certain elements of the past and remixes them for a new generation. That gang’s all here – He-Man, Skeletor, Teela, Man at Arms, Cringer, Evil-Lyn, etc. Another kids series like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power but this time utilizing the flagship elements of the franchise. Now we come to Netflix’s new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. This was a show that wasn’t just using nostalgia as a marketing tactic, it was actively courting its original audience and making something specific for them. It was filled to the brim with references and callbacks, both obvious and deep cut. It wasn’t a reboot of He-Man, it was a continuation of the original show. Where many updates of old franchises simply take concepts and do a modern take on them, Revelation instead was a love letter to fans of the franchise. Then we got Masters of the Universe: Revelation. Even with its eschewing of direct connections to He-Man the show delighted in its references and use of the wider MOTU mythology. ![]() Leading off with a new version of She-Ra, a character not seen in animation since the ‘80s, the show boldly aimed its stories at a new and more diverse group of viewers. The new era has been an altogether unexpected one for the franchise. The Masters of the Universe franchise is experiencing a major resurgence, with three new series on Netflix after a drought of animated content after the 2002 MOTU series ended in 2004.
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